Revealed: How Scotland’s education system could be improved

A new survey has revealed where Scots think our education system is falling short.

500 people in Scotland were asked by school locker manufacturer Action Storage for their insight on where schools could be improved most.

In the wake of Britain’s record-breaking performance at the Rio 2016 Olympics, 41% of Scots believe new health and fitness programmes could mark a step in the right direction for our schools.

For 37% of Scots, empowering teachers is the answer to improving our education system – and 50% of voters aged 35-44 are convinced this is the case.

New schools of thought

Many Scots put stock in students’ progress – calling for simpler exams (27%) and more frequent updates for parents (18%) – while other respondents recommended investing more in new equipment (36%) and anti-theft measures (9%).

The British government came under fire, with 44% of women – and 60% of respondents aged 45-54 – pushing for further funding.

This call for increased government funding comes shortly after Jeremy Corbyn’s outline for a national education service, designed to offer learning opportunities at every stage of life and close the growing productivity gap.

32% of respondents said schools could do more to motivate children, while 67% of 35-44 year olds believe this is an area for significant improvement.

Education through empowerment

According to the BBC, this year’s Pride Glasgow festival included a drive for schools to educate children on LGBTI issues – and 28% of the Scottish public agree that tackling discrimination and bullying should be a key focus going forward.

40% of 18-24 year olds said anti-bullying initiatives should be priority number one, making this the greatest concern among Generation Y.

27% of all participants thought schools should rethink the way they deal with bad behaviour, as did a substantial 60% of 18-24 year olds.

One resounding outcome of the survey saw Scots push for more power to be placed in the hands of both teachers and their pupils.

27% of people surveyed thought reducing head teachers’ workloads could offer a solution – freeing them up to invest in school development, rather than spending time on day-to-day administrative duties.

Extracurricular activity

The survey also revealed an interest in more sustainable schools, as 18% of Scots expressed the importance of an eco-friendly approach.

Some respondents offered their own two cents on where schools could be most improved – with alternative answers including reducing class sizes and treating children as individuals.

Topline results:

Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers to the following question:

In which of the following areas do you think schools could be improved most?

Implementing health and fitness programmes: 40.9%

Empowering teachers: 36.9%

Investing in new equipment: 36.4%

Increased government funding: 36.2%

Motivating children: 31.8%

Simplifying the exam process: 27.1%

Tackling bullying: 27.7%

Dealing with bad behaviour: 27.4%

Freeing up head teachers to invest in school development: 27.3%

Adopting an environmentally friendly approach: 18.2%

Updating parents on their children’s progress: 18.0%

Preventing theft on school premises: 9.4%

Other: 9.1%

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